Melbourne: Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon took the crucial wickets of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja as India reached 244/7 in 73 overs and trail Australia by 230 runs at lunch on day three of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Saturday. It was a fascinating session of Test cricket for Australia, as their bowlers showed excellent control and discipline to take out the two overnight batters, especially with Pant’s manner of dismissal coming under immense scrutiny.
With Nitish Kumar Reddy looking great again in his footwork and proactiveness to be 40 not out and Washington Sundar giving him company at five not out, India would be heavily banking on the duo to first cross 275 and avoid the follow-on before reducing the deficit as much as possible.
Resuming from 164/5, a measured Pant collected boundaries off Pat Cummins and Boland, while surviving a caught behind appeal, as replays showed the ball brushing his elbow, and two mix-ups with Jadeja almost ending up in a run-out. But in the 56th over, Pant began to unleash some aggression – he tried going for the big shot off Boland but copped a blow on his body. On the next ball, Pant went across for the scoop shot again but got a thick top-edge edge, and was caught at third man for 28.
Reddy got going with a drive and slice fetching him two boundaries, but Lyon was troubling Jadeja with loopy deliveries. On the fifth ball of the 65th over, Lyon fired in a skiddy delivery and hit Jadeja’s back pad in front of off-stump and trapped him plumb lbw. Jadeja tried to overturn the decision, but ball-tracking showed the delivery would hit the stumps, as he walked back for 17. Lyon persisted with his off-stump line, but Reddy danced down the pitch to smack the off-spinner over his head for a lovely six, before taking a four off Travis Head in the same fashion.
Cummins peppered Reddy with some hostile short balls, but the impressive young all-rounder survived it with gusto. However, Sundar looked uncomfortable against the Australian skipper, as the hosts got another session in their favour.
Brief scores:
Australia 474 lead India 244/7 in 73 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 82, Nitish Kumar Reddy 40 not out; Scott Boland 3-37, Pat Cummins 2-70) by 230 runs.
(IANS)
